In a few weeks I’ll be deer hunting. Someone recently told me that squirrel is the best meat in the woods. And while I plan on testing that theory and presenting you with a squirrel recipe one of these days, until then I’m clinging on to the notion that venison is the best meat in the woods.

The key to good venison is aging it properly. Just like a good 12 ounce T-bone at Peter Lugers, venison needs a lot of hang time. The “gameyness” and “chewyness” disappear when you treat ‘er well.

Venison has less fat than beef but it has the same basic enzymes and lactic acid. So the process is very much the same.

Properly aging a deer begins as soon as you’ve made your (clean!) shot:

1. You carefully open the animal and remove the entrails inside the chest cavity, being careful not to puncture any organs. Then, you flush the cavity with several gallons of cold water. It is important to cool the meat as fast as possible. If it’s cold outside, simply prop the chest cavity open with a stick. If it is warm outside, place bags of ice inside the cavity. You should also keep the inside of the cavity dry by wiping it with towels.

2. Hang the deer from the rear legs, high enough to avoid touching the ground. Then remove the hide, head, and front legs.

3. Muscles go into rigor mortis, a stiffening which lasts about 24 hours, and butchering during this time is a very bad idea. The muscles will contract and become irreversibly tough. So proper aging begins as soon as rigor mortis ends. (The same is true for buying fish by the way, but that is for another day!). To properly age your deer, you must keep it at temperatures above freezing and below about 40 degrees. This holds bacteria (and rot) at bay, allowing natural enzymes to do their work. A side of beef takes 3 to 4 days at 40 degrees F. for this process to begin.

4. Collagen is the stuff that supermodels and the ladies of Orange County use to puff up their lips. It is also what causes meat to be tough. Young animals have very little of it between their muscle cells, but as an animal gets older, more develops. Natural enzymes break down this collagen as the meat ages, so the longer it hangs, the more tender it becomes. That is why your Peter Luger’s T-bone is so expensive… it takes extra time and energy, which cost money. Your supermarket beef may only age a couple of days which means it usually falls short of its full flavor potential. A wise butcher will do your meat justice.

5. At 40 degrees F, 7 days of aging is usually sufficient, but for larger deer longer is better. If you don’t have a cool basement or walk-in cooler to age your meat, you can home-age your venison in the refrigerator. Skin the quarters and bone-out the other large sections of meat. These will fit in the average refrigerator.

6. Once it is aged to your liking, you can break the meat down further, into rounds, tenderloins, loins, ribs, stew meat, shoulder, ground meat, sausage etc…

7. Then you must package it properly for the freezer. Vacuum sealed bags are best, but if you don’t have that sort of contraption, carefully wrap each piece in several layers of plastic wrap and place each in a sealable bag, making sure to remove all the air bubbles along the way. Submerge the bag in water leaving the seal above water and squeeze out any remaining air bubbles. This will prevent freezer burn. Check the meat from time to time and if you do see freezer burn it’s time to eat it! This process works for all fish and game.

8. When you’re ready to prepare your venison treat it in the same way you would beef. If you like your beef medium-rare, cook your venison to the same temperature. Don’t overcook it! There is less fat in venison and it will dry out quickly. The more you cook it, the more flavor and juiciness will be lost.

Food tastes so much better when you work this hard to make it… so on that note, I give you this recipe for braised venison shoulder…enjoy!

My great-aunt was an avid gardener, who used lament daily on the what the deer had taken from her garden during the night. The contraptions I’ve seen to prevent deer from feasting on the garden are humorous and sometimes extreme...ranging from human urine to potato sacks covered in dried blood. Since many habitats can't support as many deer as it has, rather than letting them starve to death, appreciating the deer for its flavorsome meat seems the best way to cope!

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

oil

1 carrot

1 onions

1 stalk celery

1 bottle dry red wine

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 whole clove

2 bay leaves

sprig of thyme

parsley stems

8 peppercorns

For Braising:

4 small or 2 large venison shoulders

olive oil

3 cups veal or beef stock

1 cup onions, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

4 garlic cloves

1 cup ripe tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 1/2 cup red wine

2 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

salt & pepper

Instructions

For the Marinade:

Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat and sweat the vegetables. Add the wine and vinegar and remaining aromatic ingredients and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Cool thoroughly and pour over venison. Let it soak for several hours.

For the Venison Braise:

Remove the shoulders from the marinade and pat them dry.

Heat a roasting pan and add the olive oil. Add the venison shoulders and sauté on all sides until nicely browned. Remove and set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, garlic cloves and celery to the pan and cook until well browned. Pour off any grease and add the herbs.

Add the wine and deglaze the little carmelized brown bits at the bottom of your pan, scraping them with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and tomatoes and a little salt and pepper. Return the venison shoulders to the liquid.

Tightly cover the roasting pan with tin foil and place in a 300° F – 325° F oven to braise for approximately 2 ½ hours.

When the shoulders are tender, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove the lid and let the shoulders rest for 10 minutes.

Carefully degrease the cooking liquid by skimming the fat off the top with a ladle.

Remove the shoulders from the pot and set aside in a warm place covered. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh seive. You can reduce some of this liquid in a separate sauce pan until it is thick, and pour it over your venison to serve.

Denise Wilson Says

Suzi Dunning Says

22 October 2013

Dear Georgia,

I recently harvestested a bighorn sheep. I was wondering if you have ever tasted bighorn sheep and if you had any suggestions or recipes. Bighorn has its own flavor and does not taste like any other rocky mountain game animal or domestic sheep. My husband and I sealed the various cuts of bighorn with a food saver. The cuts we have are tender loin, sirloin, shanks, round steaks, stew meat and trim for sausage.

I enjoy your site and someday hope to join you in one of your weekend adventures.

Bee Says

16 December 2015

My experience with this recipe was that the braising liquid took on the flavor of the meat, but not vice versa. You must absolutely strain and reduce the cooking liquid and serve on or aside the meat or you will be disappointed.